Mortgage Originator: Definition, What It Does, Types

What Is a Mortgage Originator?

A mortgage originator is an institution or individual that works with a borrower to complete a home loan transaction. A mortgage originator is the original mortgage lender and can be either a mortgage broker or a mortgage banker. Mortgage originators are part of the primary mortgage market. They must work with underwriters and loan processors from the application date until closing to gather the necessary documentation and guide the file through the approval process.

How a Mortgage Originator Works

The mortgage originator is the first company involved in creating a mortgage. Mortgage originators consist of retail banks, mortgage bankers, and mortgage brokers. While banks use their traditional sources of funding to close loans, mortgage bankers typically use what is known as a warehouse line of credit to fund loans. Most banks, and nearly all mortgage bankers, quickly sell newly originated mortgages into the secondary mortgage market.

However, depending on its size and sophistication, a mortgage originator might aggregate mortgages for a certain period of time before selling the whole package; it might also sell individual loans as they originate. There is risk involved for an originator when it holds onto a mortgage after an interest rate has been quoted and locked in by a borrower. If the mortgage is not simultaneously sold into the secondary market when the borrower locks the interest rate, rates could change, which alters the value of the mortgage in the secondary market and, ultimately, the profit the originator makes on the mortgage.

Originators that aggregate mortgages before selling them often hedge their mortgage pipelines against interest rate shifts. A transaction called a best-efforts trade eliminates the need for the originator to hedge a mortgage. Smaller originators tend to use best-efforts trades.

In general, mortgage originators make money through the fees charged to originate a mortgage and the difference between the interest rate given to a borrower and the premium a secondary market will pay for that interest rate.

Primary vs. Secondary Mortgage Market

The primary mortgage market is the initial marketplace where the borrower gets together with the mortgage originator, whether a bank, credit union, or mortgage broker, to conduct a mortgage transaction. At the closing table, the primary mortgage lender provides the funds to the borrower, which the borrower uses to complete their home purchase.

The primary mortgage market is highly fragmented in the United States. While several large firms originate a large percentage of mortgages, thousands of smaller firms and individuals also account for a large percentage of total mortgage originations.

Once originated, the servicing rights to mortgages frequently get sold from one institution to another. This activity takes place in the secondary mortgage market, which is termed as such because buying and selling in this marketplace can only occur after a mortgage is already in force. Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, represent some of the largest buyers on the secondary market. Secondary buyers sometimes package pools of loans into mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and sell them.

Tallying up the percentage of originations that belong to which mortgage originator depends on how an origination is counted. Since a large percentage of newly originated mortgages are immediately sold into the secondary mortgage market, they might be counted by the institution that purchases the mortgage in the secondary market as an origination, thus double-counting the origination.

Different Types of Mortgage Originators

Mortgage bankers and brokers represent two of the most common mortgage originators. While the titles sound similar, important distinctions exist between the two. A mortgage banker works for a lending institution that funds loans at closing with its own money. Most retail banks and credit unions employ mortgage bankers.

A mortgage broker, by contrast, serves as a middleman between the borrower and various mortgage banking institutions. The broker takes the application, checks credit and income, and often handles much of the underwriting and processing but ultimately ferrets the loan out to a lending institution to fund it at closing.

The Bottom Line

Mortgage originators work with underwriters and loan officers to confirm and process your mortgage, but they will seldom keep your loan for the long term. If you decide to have a mortgage broker originate your loan, take the time to research and compare different broker costs, services, etc. before you make a final decision. If you find that the downsides of working with a mortgage broker outweigh the benefits, then a mortgage banker may be a better option.